A&E's Ancient Mysteries: Bigfoot

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All Rise...

Judge Dennis Prince is glad he's completed this entrance requirement into the Ghostbusters.

The Charge

"Either the most complex and sophisticated hoax in the history of
anthropology has continued for centuries without being exposed, or the most
manlike and largest non-human primate on Earth has managed to survive in parts
of North America and remains undiscovered by modern science."

-- G.W. Gill, President of the American Board of Forensic
Anthropology

Opening Statement

Admittedly, right behind the unsolved riddles of UFOs comes the mystery of
Bigfoot and the notion that a giant hairy creature has freely roamed the Pacific
Northwest of the United States for centuries. While it has served as terrific
inspiration for pseudo-documentaries (The Legend of Boggy Creek),
tantalizing tele-dramas (The Six-Million-Dollar Man: "The Secret of
Bigfoot"), and countless wide-eyed campfire yarns, the tale of Bigfoot and
the veritable enclave of sasquatch is just as enticing and interesting to this
day.

Facts of the Case

Much as we all wonder what we'd do if we saw an actual UFO, the thought of
encountering a sasquatch is truly chilling. We dismiss it as the sort of story
that is used to frighten children, yet we certainly take pause when confronted
with clues about the creatures' possible existence.

After his well-managed reinvention and reemergence into the public eye with
1977's In Search Of series, Leonard Nimoy proved he had much more talent
beyond a pair of pointy ears and a tightly-trimmed set of bangs. Serving mainly
as voice-over narrator, Nimoy's aural intonations left us mesmerized, his
matter-of-fact yet slightly mysterious proclamations lending an undeniable air
of possibility, probability, and even legitimacy to the myths and legends that
permeate our culture as well as the cultures of others around the world. In
Search Of became a tremendous hit, found long-running existence in reruns
long after its cancellation in 1982, and propelled Nimoy into the documentary
and narration realm. Here, we catch up with him in a compelling episode of
A&E's similarly successful investigative series, Ancient Mysteries,
and look again at the fascinating possibility of a race of giant humanoid
creatures in an episode titled simply, "Bigfoot."

There's much presented in this 50-minute documentary that you've likely
already heard or known: that the creature has been mentioned for centuries in
discovered historical records, oldest being from the annals of Leif Erickson in
986 A.D.; that it's been spotted in each of the 50 states but most frequently in
the Pacific Northwest; that it moves about almost silently, mostly at dark,
bears a strong stench that can be smelled for yards, and leaves behind giant
footprints. Still, a creature has yet to be captured, dead or alive, and
therefore leaves it in the often skeptical realm of myth, legend, and mass
hysteria. Peter Byrne, long-time director of the Bigfoot Research Project,
continues his decades-old quest of the species, sharing with us that he believes
the creatures possess reasonable intelligence to know that man is its most
dangerous enemy and, therefore, have devised many ways to remain undiscovered
(including hiding their own tracks). Dr. Grover Krantz, anthropologist and
long-time researcher, speaks of his experiences tracing the physical evidence of
this "Gigantipithicus" creature. Most compelling in his interview
segments are his observations of the famous yet perpetually controversial 1967
footage captured by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin. Based on conceptual
models of the creature's enormous skull and body structure, Krantz points to a
segment of the footage that makes it plausible that this was not a staged event
featuring a man in a hairy suit.

Whatever your belief or disbelief in the creature's existence (and zoologist
Dr. John Crane serves as the resident doubting Thomas), this lean 50-minute
excursion is entertaining and thought-provoking. It's presented in its original
full-frame broadcast format and looks quite good. Technically, the transfer has
been managed very competently, yet you should expect varying image quality as
the show presents various amateur film segments of purported Bigfoot sightings.
The audio is well managed in a nice Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo mix. There are no
extras on this disc.

Closing Statement

If you have an hour to spare and are interested in revisiting the legend of
Bigfoot while perhaps learning a few new facts or theories about this elusive
creature (finally, I've gotten an answer to my question regarding why we've
never found a deceased or decomposed specimen), you'll likely enjoy this
straightforward investigation that may conjure up more questions in your
mind.

The Verdict

One thing's for certain: until we can categorically disprove this
creature's existence and refute all evidence brought forth to this day, we'll
probably all be looking over our shoulders if ever we're out trudging through
deep woods.